GrantWriting Strategies for Principal Investigators

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Grant-Writing Strategies for Principal
Investigators

• How to Build and Submit Successful Grant Proposals

Elizabeth Mitloehner UC Davis Center for Public
Policy, Race, Ethnicity and Gender June 14, 2005
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Content Acknowledgments

• Thomas R. Blackburn
• Getting Science Grants
• http//www.josseybass.com/go/sciencegrants
• Jim Millam
• Abstract Presentation

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The Team
Photo Credit Horse Barn
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Collaboration is Synergistic

• Principal Investigator
• Co-Principal Investigator
• Collaborators

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Principal Investigator

• Primary research idea
• Lead author
• Majority intellectual contribution

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Co-Principal Investigator

• Second or third scientist
• Expertise vital to project success
• Full partner in intellectual work of planning,
  interpreting, revising
• At same or different institution

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When to invite a Co-PI

• Important aspects of the project -- those
  constituting intellectual contributions -- are
  beyond your means or expertise
• New/ unknown investigators may want a Co-PI known
  to agency

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Collaborator

• Provides consultation, specialized techniques,
  access to materials, or entrée into field areas,
  populations, etc.
• Can receive funding on a fee basis, paid from the
  grant
• Does not share in intellectual direction of
  research

Photo Credit Canine Research Lab
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Developing A Proposal for Peer Review

Photo Credit Animal Genomics Laboratory
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Address Three Audiences

• Program Officer
• Gauges fit w/ agency guidelines/ eligibility
• Technical Peer Reviewers
• Verify validity/ veracity of your science
• Rate proposal
• Panel of generalists
• Vote on final awards
• Often scientists from other fields

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Title and Abstract

• Title and Abstract make high-impact first
  impression
• Search funded titles/ abstracts
• Develop at the beginning
• Revise along the way
• Refine at the end
• Take the time to write both effectively

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Title

• 100 useful information
• Professional language
• Addresses all reviewers
• No methods detail unless proposal is to test a
  specific method or use of equipment

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Abstract

• Concise (usually 250-400 words)
• All scientifically important features of the
  proposed project
• Context and significance
• Hypotheses
• Impact and implications

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The neurological basis of photorefractoriness
in domestic turkeys
Photo Credit ARS
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Define Overall Research Focus

• Photorefractoriness defined as a condition in
  certain turkey hens
• Condition limits egg production
• Determining and addressing the derivation of the
  condition can lead to significantly increased egg
  production.

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State the Research Problem

• Lack of understanding of the neurological basis
  of photorefractoriness, which causes hens to stop
  laying eggs.

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Cite Preliminary Findings

• Hens that remain photosensitive continue to
  produce eggs.
• Hens that become photorefractory stop laying
  eggs.
• The difference between these two conditions
  appears to be linked to the presence and function
  of tuberal neurons in the hypothalamus.

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State New Direction for Research

• This important finding now permits
  investigations of the neurological basis of PR.

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Define Proposed Research

• Research will determine
• HOW the tuberal neurons function in
  photosensitive and photorefractory hens.
• WHETHER the role of thyroid hormone is critical
  for the normal behavior of tuberal neurons.

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Specify Hypothesis

• Neurons in the tuberal hypothalamus of
  photorefractory hens cause thyroid
  hormone-induced reduction in the efficiency of
  phototransduction.

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State Objectives

• Determine the neurochemical identity of the
  tuberal neurons and their connectivity.
• Determine whether the expression of thyroid
  hormone-related proteins and mRNAs differ in
  photosensitive vs. photorefractory hens and under
  varying treatment conditions.

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Objectives, Cont.

• Determine whether the tuberal neurons behave
  differently in treatment v. control.
• Determine whether photostimulated regional brain
  metabolism differs in photosensitive vs.
  photorefractory hens.

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Methodology Credibility

• Objectives 1-3 utilize immunohistochemistry and
  in situ hybridization.
• Objective 4 utilizes non-invasive micro
  positron-emission tomography imaging (microPET)
  and will be the first such use of this technology
  in birds.
• Answers to these questions will substantially
  increase our understanding of the neurological
  basis of Photorefractoriness.

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Drive Home Research Relevance

• The long-term goal is to identify critical steps
  in the development of a condition that could be
  blocked or prevented.
• Eliminating this condition addresses the program
  priority of increasing fertility,
• The proposal addresses Strategic Planning
  Priority 1 by .

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Required Narrative Elements
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Narrative Expands Info from Abstract

• Introduction
• Description of significance of proposed research
  in context of prior work
• Bibliography
• Hypotheses to be tested and methods you will use
  to test them
• Intellectual and other impacts of research

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Introduction

• Presents the conceptual setting of your work
• Is the appropriate place for conveying the
  excitement of your work
• Must be compelling, highly focused, and concise
• Includes an illustrative chart or graph to
  provide a visual theory of action

Graphic Credit G. Anderson
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Literature Review

• Also known as prior work and referenced in full
  bibliography
• Lays the context for the problem
• Persuades readers that research area is vital
• Cites leading current research, including your
  own
• Proves you have done your homework
• Proves you have a significant contribution to
  make to the field
• Avoid plagiarizing someone elses review

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Research Impact and Significance

• Agencies fund research that (a) answers questions
  and (b) fosters new inquiry
• Spend at least 1/2 page on this topic alone
• Detail themes here, weave throughout rest of
  proposal
• Remember tertiary impact training
  undergraduates, mentoring and education of
  broader community, use of requested equipment in
  laboratory class
• Refer to agency mission/ themes supported by call

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Hypotheses and Methods

• 80 percent of the proposal narrative
• Ask focused, narrow questions that (a) can be
  answered and (b) lead to more questions.
• How Detail Includes
• Samples and how you get them
• Anticipated findings
• Precision of technique
• Data interpretation
• Impact of positive and negative results

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Other Impacts of Research

• Broaden your project scope to shed light on
  potential future research by you or others
• Show awareness of where research fits in larger
  context of field or discipline and potential
  practical outcomes
• Promote research as a wise investment of
  resources
• Promote researcher as forward-thinking

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May seem obvious

• Read guidelines several times before writing
• Follow content sequence guidelines exactly
• Stick to all required formatting. Dont cheat

Photo Credit F. Mitloehner
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Be Detail Oriented

• Use an electronic spell checker, at least one
  hard editor, and one proof reader
• Repeatedly refer to the call while writing
• Highlight all required elements and key themes,
  and check off against final product

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Stay in the Running

• Adhere to
• Word count limits (abstracts)
• Font size / type
• Margins
• Line spacing
• Page numbers
• Sequential pagination

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Questions?